KRONE, JULIE

born July 24, 1963, Benton Harbor, Mich., U.S. in full Julieanne Louise Krone American jockey, the first woman to win the prestigious Belmont Stakes. Krone grew up on a horse farm in Eau Claire, Michigan. Her mother, Judi, was a prizewinning show rider, and Julie was only 5 when she began winning horse shows in the 21-and-under division. At age 14 she watched on television as 18-year-old Steve Cauthen won the 1978 Triple Crown and set herself the goal of becoming a jockey. She worked for a trainer in 1979 and the next year won 20 races on Michigan's fair circuit. Krone quit high school in her senior year in order to focus on riding. By 1987 she had become the first female leading rider at major racetracks, winning at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, both in New Jersey. She won six races in one day at Monmouth and five at the Meadowlands, tying track records at both places. She retained the leading riding title at Monmouth through 1989 and at the Meadowlands through 1990. On June 5, 1993, Krone made horse-racing history as the first woman to win the Belmont Stakes, one of the U.S. Triple Crown races. Her Belmont victory, aboard 13-to-1 long shot Colonial Affair, made Krone the first woman to win any of the Triple Crown races. Following her 1993 Belmont triumph, Krone continued to win titles on the New YorkFlorida circuit, having particular success at Gulfstream Park in Florida. In 1995 she published an autobiography, Riding for My Life.